Wednesday, 3 September 2014

Short Film Review: SHE (2014) Directed by Chelsey Burden & Mark Vessey.

Another short film funded through Kickstarter, and once
again, another example of young talent knocking it out of the park.

She has a simple
set-up. We have a couple, He (Phillip James) and She (Fiona Dourif), clearly
going through 'that' stretch of the relationship in which everything is a
chore; every action from either party is an irritation. But there's more at
play here. There's clearly something wrong which goes deeper than merely
getting complacent with each other. That's something we can all relate to, but the
way He behaves is clearly not in on par with most of us (I hope!) The
unforgivable, horrendous, abuse leads to the film's inevitable, disturbing, and
sickening conclusion.

Written and directed by Chelsey Burden and Mark Vessey, She is a difficult film to discuss
without major spoilers, but it's safe to say by the time the climax arrives,
those who have not been physically sick will be wincing, if not mentally
scarred for life.

It has to be said, Fiona Dourif is fantastic as She,
provoking sympathy and compassion from the audience without uttering a word;
it's all in the facial expression - particularly the eyes. Phillip James,
is similarly is outstanding as He - at first possibly a victim of a trapped
relationship, but then subtly (and then forcefully) revealed to be a suburban
monster; the type of man who gives every man a bad name. His glances evoke emotional responses from the viewer, only this time fear and
revulsion. This isn't apparent straight away, but in the moments it takes to
commit a terrible, heinous act we are told more about him than a full hour of
exposition. The silence is as powerful as any dramatic score could be, and is
perfectly suited to the silent suffering that goes on in these situations.

It's an incredible testament to the first-time directors
that they manage to pull off such a feat. It's even more applaudable that the
denouement they have come up with, while being an extreme horror staple, is
genuinely shocking, repulsive and stomach-churning yet impeccably realised; the
special effect work - all prosthetic - no half-arsed CGI here - by Paul While
is exemplary, almost too real!

As a film debut, She
is a remarkable work. A wonderfully nuanced piece which works even without the
graphic finale, but as it is, it's a conclusion which is untouchable, albeit
perhaps a little too much for some tastes. One can only wonder what Burden and
Vessey have in store for us next, either as a team or collectively, because on
this showing they make a perfect pairing.

If you get a chance to see it on the festival circuit, do
so. It's already gone down a storm at FrightFest in London,
and will be at Grimmfest in Manchester
this coming October (2014)